1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to guard means for exposed acting portions in an aerosol dispenser for dispensing, by means of finger pressure, solution or the like contained in a pressure container under pressure of an expellent.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Active portions of the foregoing aerosol dispenser comprises a dispensing valve portion which exists within a container, a hollow valve stem exposed externally from the container and mechanically connected to the dispensing valve portion, a push button for acting pressure to the valve stem, a nozzle extending externally from the push button for dispensing the solution or the like through a dispensing passage in the push button. These active portions provide a dispensing head.
Such a dispensing head of an aerosol dispenser is not only often subjected to the problem of dirty materials sticking thereto in an unclean environment and entry of dirt and filth, particularly into the nozzle orifice, but is subjected eventually to emission of the solution upon the active portion falling or receiving external forces in transport. In order to prevent these drawbacks, a cup-like guard cap is ordinarily attached to the container to cover the whole head portions containing the dispensing head of the container. However, such a guard cap heretofore used may be eventually be lost by failure to recap after use of the aerosol dispenser.
In recent years, guard means of the dispensing head called one-touch caps have been developed. This one-touch cap generally has an open top face or at least is a cylindrical body having an opening at the top face, which cylindrical body is provided with a window bore at a portion of the cylindrical wall. Upon fixing the skirt of the cylindrical wall to the top portion of a dispensing container and pressing the push button with a finger through the top face opening portion, the solution is dispensed through the window bore.
By means of such one-touch cap, the dispensing head is protected from external forces and, different from the foregoing cup-like cap, it is convenient because removal and reattaching of the cap after every use is not required. However, it is impotent against external forces from above and also it is defenseless against pollution on each portion of the dispensing head because the exterior and the interior of the cap are communicated through the top face opening and the window bore of the cylindrical wall.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to remove the drawbacks of the foregoing prior art.